Yediot Aharonot notes the ongoing controversies over Bedouin claims to considerable stretches of land in the Negev and illegal construction by Bedouin in the area. However, the author asserts that "The demolition of the mosque in Rahat this week was designed to signal that the establishment does not look kindly on the attempt of the northern branch of the Islamic movement to spread southward, and was, apparently, less an issue of illegal construction."
Ma’ariv refers to the ongoing wave of anti-Christian violence in Iraq and reviews the plight of Christian minorities in the Islamic Middle East. The author asks: "How can here be any future co-existence between the Islamic countries and the West when, in the same countries, there is no co-existence with Christian minorities?"
Yisrael Hayom discusses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to the US and suggests that "Against the background of the expected pressure for the continuation of the freeze [on construction in Judea and Samaria], it must be stressed that a strongly pro-Israeli Congress is a great asset." However, the author reminds his readers that while "Congress pulls the strings mainly in the economic field, and there its influence is critical, US foreign policy is set mainly by the White House and Congress’s ability to influence this sphere is limited." The paper cautions that "There are those who predict that instead of clashing with Congress over economic matters, Obama will be tempted to increase his activity in foreign affairs and will try to make his mark there. The question is whether Obama will change US policy in the Middle East or if he will continue to pressure Israel, albeit in a little more sophisticated manner." The author predicts that the peace talks will fail and warns that the American President might attempt to compel a solution by calling on Israel to return to the 1967 lines and says that "The most vital factor in this difficult situation in which we find ourselves is the fairness of the American public, whose support for Israel has never been as clear as it is today."
The Jerusalem Post discusses the National Insurance Institute’s 2009 poverty report, which details a sharp rise in poverty in Israel, and states that "the state must do all it can to encourage and support the many nongovernmental organizations that are working to help those in need, often in areas where the government has fallen short." Despite the fact that the government does offer some incentives to encourage charitable giving, the editor urges the State to urgently "remove the untenable financial hurdles preventing those who are providing assistance from maximizing their capacity to help."
Haaretz comments that Israel’s latest building plan in Jerusalem is a pointless provocation, which has led to an unnecessary direct and public tussle with the American government and world opinion. The editor claims that this, in turn, leads to a new situation – that of Israel’s being defined as a peace rejectionist and an untrustworthy state, and states that "If the prime minister does not immediately announce his opposition to these construction plans, and his intention to defer them at least until a new agreement is reached concerning talks with the Palestinians, he will be unable to convince anyone that he really wants peace."
389